


Tonight, Tomorrow, and All the Nights Afterwards

by 126916912



Series: Deleted 1213659/126916912 Works [9]
Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Dinner, Gen, Laundry, Roommates, Vignettes, moving in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 14:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30123975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/126916912/pseuds/126916912
Summary: Sangyeon tries again. "I don't understand what we're doing here if you're not really interested in looking around. Why did you say you wanted to move out in the first place?"The words come sooner than expected, small enough that Hyunjunâ€™s injured tone nicks at Sangyeon. "Sangyeon, I have been waiting for you to realise I want to live with you."
Relationships: Heo Hyunjoon | Hwall & Lee Sangyeon
Series: Deleted 1213659/126916912 Works [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2216154





	Tonight, Tomorrow, and All the Nights Afterwards

From time to time, Sangyeon realises, Hyunjun is difficult. Sangyeon tries to look at the positive that these episodes are sporadic and infrequent but he must also face the reality that this particular stint has lasted far longer than expected. 

Hyunjun is the one who asked Sangyeon for help house-hunting. Hyunjun is the one who even picked up newspapers from public transport for the purpose of circling the promising property listings. Yet Sangyeon suspects he wasn't enlisted to be actually useful. 

Hyunjun pouts and complains with every rejected idea which is out of his budget and refuses any suggestions of viewings based on the arbitrary criteria of how many other people live in the flats and houses or the times that showings are being offered. But each time Sangyeon has remained calm, smiling to paper over the cracks drying into his skin. The search is useless but Sangyeon does manage to get Hyunjun to agree to view a few properties on an afternoon so cold that the air bites at their hands more insistently once they've made it indoors. 

Sangyeon needn't ask what Hyunjun thinks of the flat - a modest studio not too far from useful amenities like shops, a launderette, and an array of takeaway restaurants to satisfy a palate in any mood - because he has his hands shoved into his pockets as he blandly gazes around the empty walls. 

He hates it. The rent is reasonable and Sangyeon wishes he could live somewhere as convenient and private as this but it isn't good enough for Hyunjun. 

Sangyeon takes a breath, he tells the landlord that he and his friend just want to have a quick chat, they're still interested, please don't text the other prospective renter just yet. He pulls Hyunjun aside and wonders whether he is able to be kind in his questioning. 

"What's the matter with you?" 

Hyunjun shrugs, lifts his gaze slowly like he always does when he feels the victim of injustice, and he says, "I don't want to live here alone."

"The whole point of you wanting to move out is that you want to live alone, Hyunjun, why are you wasting everyone's time by saying that isn't what you want?" 

Sangyeon knows he's not making the situation any better. He tries again. "Sorry, Hyunjun. I don't mean to be harsh, but I don't understand what we're doing here if you're not really interested in actually looking around. Why did you say you wanted to move out in the first place?" 

The words come sooner than expected, small enough that Hyunjun’s injured tone nicks at Sangyeon. "You're always complaining about where you live, Sangyeon, I have been waiting for you to realise I want to live with you."

"Oh."

Sangyeon hadn't realised he was supposed to reach a conclusion like that. If he had known that he wouldn't have let his irritation build enough that he momentarily thought Hyunjun waa the one making himself upset. Sangyeon is careless and clumsy and he needs to be more considerate when Hyunjun has a track record of hinting rather than saying things outright. 

"You really want to live with me?" 

Hyunjun nods quickly. "Don't you think it would be nice?" 

Anything would be preferable to Sangyeon’s current situation. Having Hyunjun as a roommate might surpass every other possibility. 

🏡

Unsurprisingly nobody at the houseshare is disappointed to hear that the skip in Sangyeon’s step is from the anticipation of finding somewhere new to live. They just ask him to hurry to pay his share of the rent until he leaves. Everyone mostly kept to themselves anyway and Sangyeon only knows the most cursory information aside from things he has witnessed himself such as the resistance to emptying the bins, the lack of regard for food labelling, the insistence on being especially noisy the nights before Sangyeon needs to wake up early. 

There is no more of that when Sangyeon finally gets to move in with Hyunjun. They do chores together and look up recipes they want to try together and Hyunjun is considerate with his noise levels. Hyunjun is the perfect roommate and Sangyeon only regrets not thinking of moving in with him sooner. 

🏡

One evening the two of them take a walk to the laundrette with bagfuls of clothes between them. They only need to go around the corner but it feels like a real trip out whenever Sangyeon is with Hyunjun. 

They find two adjacent washing machines and load them up. Most of Hyunjun’s clothes end up in the load of dark clothes though Sangyeon could have sworn he has seen a more varied colour palette but Hyunjun admits to stealing Sangyeon’s clothes to supplement his wardrobe. 

Whilst the clothes are spinning in the washing machines, Sangyeon takes Hyunjun on a stroll down the street. The two of them cloister together under the flapping canopy of a food vendor's stall as they eat skewers of meat and tornado potato. Hyunjun pushes his luck and keeps waving odeng in Sangyeon’s face but aside from that it is nice eating together. 

Back in the laundrette, they chuck their clothes into dryers and sit under the artificial yellow lights. Hyunjun curls up on the bench and dozes with his head in Sangyeon’s lap. It can't be comfortable but Hyunjun looks like he needs the nap so Sangyeon doesn't wake him. 

🏡

There is a balcony and that is something Sangyeon likes too much about this flat. The novelty still hasn't worn off several weeks after moving in and Sangyeon likes the peace of sitting on the windowsill at the open window. Staring out at the deep blue of the night sky makes Sangyeon feel small but the thought isn't unpleasant. Sangyeon is smaller even than any of the twinkling lights that wink from miles and miles away. He doesn't matter more than the exhales that leave his lips and that's just fine. 

"Boo!" 

Once he has stopped flailing, Sangyeon kicks half-heartedly at Hyunjun. "What would you have done if I fell out of the window?" 

"I would have saved you so I could tell you it was your own fault," Hyunjun says seriously, pale grey in the muted dark. Sangyeon laughs and Hyunjun bundles up his blanket and shuffles close enough to settle in Sangyeon’s arms. There is a judder to his inhale, almost like a backwards little snore as he rests his head on Sangyeon’s shoulder. 

"Did I wake you up?" 

Hyunjun shakes his head and sets about draping the blanket over Sangyeon’s legs. "I just suddenly woke up. Should I make you a drink?" 

"No, thanks. Should I make you one?" 

Hyunjun smiles, too wide to truly be reluctant. "Why would I want you to?" 

"Maybe you won't get back to sleep otherwise."

"I'll be fine. I just want to stay with you for a bit."

Even though he is standing, Hyunjun’s eyes flutter shut and he sighs, content. 

Each of Hyunjun’s breaths are minute, microcosmoi exhaled and sparking life and love in every moment of his life. Sangyeon loved nothing more than to be able to witness every sublime moment. 

Sangyeon is tiny, insignificant, but Hyunjun is everything. 

🏡

When a pipe bursts in an undisclosed location in their building, Sangyeon and Hyunjun spend several days shivering. The central heating breaking down shouldn't feel like the end of the world but when Sangyeon manages to procure an old electric heater from his parents, he realises things aren't quite the same. 

Hyunjun’s arms are trembling too much to even bring his chopsticks to his chattering teeth. Sangyeon tests the limits of the extension cord and pushes the electric heater closer to Hyunjun which results in whiny protests. 

"I don't want you to freeze to death. Just sit closer to the heater so I don't have to worry about you becoming an icicle."

"But then you won't get any of the heat. What will I do if _you_ become an icicle?" 

"You're welcome to set me on fire to keep yourself warm," Sangyeon says. Hyunjun rolls his eyes and opens up the blanket wrapped around his shivering shoulders. 

"Come here so I can steal your warmth whilst you're still alive," Hyunjun says. 

Sangyeon doesn't waste any time. He nestles close against Hyunjun in his blanket, glad to sit in the direct blast of the electric heater, as they eat together with the TV turned up loudly enough to hear it over the motor in the electric heater. But there is the question of how the rest of the night will pass. 

"You should sleep in my bed tonight so we can conserve warmth."

"Do you promise not to snore?" Hyunjun asks. 

"I cannot make a promise like that."

Hyunjun chuckles shakily and Sangyeon takes his chopsticks from his hand and rubs some life into his blanched fingers. 

"I suppose I can put up with your snoring for one night."

Sangyeon grins. If he makes pretend snoring noises at bedtime then Hyunjun brought it upon himself. 

🏡 

Sometimes anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's law never came about simply because people wanted to make things up. Everything does go wrong and Sangyeon is stuck holding all his frustrations in until he gets home. 

And when he does get home Hyunjun quickly comes to greet him at the door and take his bag and his coat. He throws them carelessly to the ground but Sangyeon supposes it is the thought that counts as he sinks into Hyunjun’s embrace. 

"The day is over," Hyunjun says. He rubs Sangyeon's back and it seems better that he doesn't bring up any of the calamities Sangyeon had messaged him about. 

Sangyeon can relax. He is home. 


End file.
